Basic Stuff

[GiantSteps]

Here some basic ideas to get you on your way to start playing some jazz.

The Circle of Fifths is useful in many different ways but for now we'll just think of it as a practice device. I'd type it out for you but in my opinion it's better to visualize it as a whole. Just do a search for it, print one out, and memorize it.

For now we're going to use it familiarize ourselves with the notes on the fretboard but we're going to combine it with another exercise to get more bang for our buck.

Here's the exercise:
The first note on the circle of fifths is C(12:00). We'll be finding the notes on the 6th string for now, so C is at the 8th fret. When you find the C, play the three root position major triad(1,3,5) shapes.

A--------10
E-8-12----

A----7-10
E-8-------

D-------5
A----7---
E-8------

Some of these shapes will change on the G and B strings.

Play those arps for every note around the circle of 5ths on the 6th string. then do the same thing on the 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings. If you want to mix it up (and you probably should), you can go counter-clockwise around the circle of fifths (going around the circle of 5ths backwards results in going around the circle of 4ths), or find each note on the every string instead of on one string at a time.

You should also do this exercise with minor(1,b3,5), diminished(1,b3,b5), and augmented(1,3,#5) triads.

I think this approach is useful because when practicing in all keys chromatically, you can just go one fret up for the next note. When you have to jump around to grab notes, you actually have to be familiar with note you want and you'll retain more. Plus you get three things from it: Note location knowledge, root position shapes for the four triad types (this gets you on your way to chord tone phrasing which is essential for playing changes well), and the circle of fifths memorized.

You can do the same thing to a jazz chart instead of the circle of fifths.

Feel free to ask questions point out typos ect..

Good Cheese
-GS-

[GiantSteps]

Yeah I know but I don't have a site.

Good Cheese,
-GS-

[Reaper]

umm, I can't see the pic. In it's place I'm getting the following message: "Remote Linking Forbidden 50megs does not support remote linking of images or files for free accounts please upgrade your account" Maybe I'm the only one...

[GiantSteps]

Here's the Co5ths.

________C_______
____F_______G___
_Bb___________D_
Eb_____________A
_Ab___________E_
____Db______B___
________F#______
_______(Gb)______

Good Cheese,
-GS-

[shawn]

Nice lesson.

[mahayana]

Thought I'd bring this odd little thread up again. It's actually a suggestion for practicing chord arpeggios in every key, starting with simple triads.

Of course, if you don't know the circle of fifths, the lesson won't make sense. Maybe someone could put a pic of the circle here?

It has a C at the top (no sharps or flats) then has flat keys clockwise, 1 flat, two flat, three flat etc, and sharp keys counterclockwise, 1 sharp, two, sharps, three sharps, etc. until they meet at the bottom with F# (5 sharps) which is the same as Gb (5 flats).

The word BEAD helps to memorize it. Or drawing it for people a few times, hah!

Anyway, I like this lesson, too, especially when you get into it with extended chords.

[Professor1]

Here's one:

cnx.rice.edu/content/m10865/latest/

[mahayana]

Ah, you found one drawn backwards, hah! ( or maybe I learned it backwards?)

It does seem odd that the keys are a perfect 5th apart in one direction, a perfect 4th apart the other way. Guitar strings are tuned in 4ths(except G to B string), violins and mandolins in 5ths.

This little exercise just wanted you to play a C chord's notes, then F, then Bb, then Eb, then Ab and so on around the circle. It doesn't really matter which direction you go, just play all keys in this order, and after awhile you'll know all the notes. It's basic, try it.

[slowpoke]

There's a Circle of Fourths/Fifths at Jamey Aebersolds "Jazz Handbook"

( 60 kb pdf file)

Link to the Jazz Handbook:
www.jazzbooks.com/miva/jazz_handbook.htm

I emailed them asking where I could get a hard copy and they replied saying they'd send one out. There's some really great stuff in there.